World Lung Cancer Day Commemorated by International Respiratory Societies
Posted: Friday, August 3, 2018
On World Lung Cancer Day, August 1, the American Thoracic Society, along with members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), celebrated those impacted by lung cancer. The Forum continues to support the efforts of the lung cancer community by creating an international educational movement on recognizing the many lung cancer risk factors as well as the importance of early treatment.
“World Lung Cancer Day efforts continue to raise awareness of risks and increase early detection for the best possible outcomes. Treatment options for lung cancer have significantly advanced over the past few years, and survival rates are increasing,” said Polly Parsons, MD, President of the American Thoracic Society.
The FIRS highlighted several fast facts about lung cancer:
- Lung cancer is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 global deaths (1.59 million deaths, 19.4 % of the total).
- The highest estimated rates of lung cancer are in North America (33.8%) and Northern Europe (23.7%), with a relatively high rate in Eastern Asia (19.2%), and the lowest rates are in Western and Middle Africa (1.1% and 0.8%, respectively).
- More than 90% of high-income countries reported that treatment services are available for lung cancer, compared with less than 30% of low-income countries.
